DATA SCRUTINY PANEL 

15th September 2025

Actions Update: 
Actions 34 to 37 remain outstanding and have been noted by the Force. 

An article was shared for information, and it was recommended that members review it. The link is provided below

News on Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner’s Office

Police and Crime Commissioner issues warning over sensationalist statistic stories

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  • Data Quality:

    The analysis of data from 2nd January to 16th August focused on data quality, trends over time, and disproportionality in relation to Stop and Search. For the Use of Force analysis, only data from May to August was used. 

  • Stop and Search

    It was noted that the quality of Stop and Search data had remained consistent over the past months. In July, 4% of records showed that self-defined ethnicity was not stated, while 1% recorded officer-perceived ethnicity as unknown. This reflects a strong overall completion rate for the Stop and Search records. 

  • Use of Force

    It was noted that both the mobile application (Pronto), used by officers to feed into the Force resource management system (Niche), are experiencing technical issues that the Force is working to resolve. In the meantime, Zoe recommended that no further action be taken on Use of Force race data until the issue has been resolved. 

Longitudinal Trends Over Time:

  • Stop and Search

    The panel had previously noted an increase in Stop and Search events in May. The Force provided additional analysis of the preceding 12 months, which confirmed that such spikes are normal and align with expected seasonal trends, and therefore are not a cause for concern. 

  • Use of Force

    The Force provided additional data showing the total volume of Use of Force reports over the past year, as the panel had previously noted that the data was disorganised. 

    The panel observed that while the volume of records has been increasing, there were no sudden spikes over the 12-month period. The Force confirmed this trend, and it was noted that monitoring this data remains useful for the panel.

Longitudinal Trends Over Time:

  • Stop and Search

    The panel noted that overall Stop and Search activity has continued to decline from the high peak observed in May. 

  • Use of Force

    For Use of Force, based on all data input by officers from April to August, the overall figures remained consistent. It was also noted that the records do not indicate the number of individuals subjected to force each month, limiting the panel’s insight into individual-level data.

Disproportionality: 

For Self-Defined Ethnicity, a slight increase was noted in June in the proportion of Stop and Search, with 3% of total stops involving Black/African/Caribbean/Black British individuals. 

Thematic Context:   

  • High Tourist Periods

    The panel reviewed high tourist periods, including Easter and Bank Holidays, in relation to age groups and the primary objectives of the searches. The data showed no significant change in the proportion of stops across different age groups, although there was a potential increase in stops related to offensive weapons in April. For August, which includes Bank Holidays and the summer period, only partial data from the first half of the month was available; a full review is planned for the October Data Panel. 

    Note: The panel did not review Use of Force data for this period. 

  • Availability of BWV

    The panel discussed camera availability, noting a drop during June and July. The panel mentioned that there is an outstanding query with the Force to confirm whether this issue is being reviewed and addressed to improve access to cameras. 

    Additionally, clarification is needed regarding the circumstances in which officers may exercise discretion not to use Body Worn Video (BWV).

  • Injury from Use of Force

    Initial analysis of injuries resulting from Use of Force showed a consistent monthly volume of records. Among those injured, approximately 6% were recorded as having a physical disability and 37% as having a mental disability. However, the quality of race data from June onwards was noted to be poor, making analysis by race unreliable for the panel. (Chart Below in percentages)

    The panel requested that we need to clarify the distinction between mental health and mental disability, as well as how mental health contributes to the impact factors. 

Any other business  

The panel discussed making the minutes from Data Panel meetings public, as a record of the panel discussion, data review and insight from the Force. This was agreed, but noting that minutes should not include names of individual panel members for data security purposes.

New Actions

  1. Query whether there is any link between officer discretion for not using BWV and carrying a Taser. 

  2. Clarify the difference between mental health and mental disability and also how mental health contributes to the impact factors. 

Interested in making a difference?

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